New Fiction

Hatch by Kenneth Oppel

The Overthrow; Book Two

“First the rain brought seeds. Seeds that grew into alien plants that burrowed and strangled and fed. Seth, Anaya and Petra are strangely immune to the plants’ toxins and have found a way to combat them. But just as they achieve their first success, the rain begins again. This rain brings eggs. Which hatch into insects. Not small insects. Bird-sized mosquitos that carry disease. Borer worms that can eat through the foundation of a house. Boat-sized water striders that carry away their prey. Our heroes aren’t able to help this time--they’ve been locked away in a government lab with other kids who are also immune. What is their secret? Could they be . . . part alien themselves? Whose side are they on?” -Publisher

Joe & the Wreck of the Tribune by Jaqueline Halsey 

“In 1797, an orphan named Joe is determined to set sail and leave his small town of Herring Cove behind. Here, his life isn't his own: he has to do what grouchy Eli and strict Gram say, because (as they like to remind him), they've given him food and shelter. They order him around and keep secrets from him, in the contents of Gram's medicine bag and in the mysterious sea chest hidden at the back of Eli's shed. The Atlantic Ocean is Joe's ticket to freedom. When he's out on the water, he delights in the ocean spray and rolling waves. But a gentle sea can turn choppy and deadly at any moment, which Joe and his neighbours know all too well. When a sailing ship wrecks nearby during a raging storm, the locals don't dare attempt a rescue. Can Joe stand by and listen to the helpless cries of the exhausted sailors, or should he put his life on the line and brave the merciless Atlantic?” -Publisher

Refugee the graphic novel by Alan Gratz, Syd (Illustrator)

“Although separated by continents and decades, Josef, a Jewish boy living in 1930s Nazi Germany; Isabel, a Cuban girl trying to escape the riots and unrest plaguing her country in 1994; and Mahmoud, a Syrian boy in 2015 whose homeland is torn apart by violence and destruction, embark on harrowing journeys in search of refuge, discovering shocking connections that tie their stories together.” -WorldCat

The Bletchley Riddle by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin 

“In the summer of 1940, siblings Jakob and Lizzie Novis find themselves at Bletchley Park, where Jakob works to crack Nazi codes while Lizzie investigates the mysterious disappearance of their mother, only to discover that the two mysteries are intertwined.” -WorldCat

The Winners by Fredrik Backman

Beartown Trilogy; Book Three

“Two years have passed since the events that no one wants to think about. Everyone has tried to move on, but there's something about this place that prevents it. The residents continue to grapple with life's big questions: What is a family? What is a community? And what, if anything, are we willing to sacrifice in order to protect them? As the locals of Beartown struggle to overcome the past, great change is on the horizon. Someone is coming home after a long time away. Someone will be laid to rest. Someone will fall in love, someone will try to fix their marriage, and someone will do anything to save their children. Someone will submit to hate, someone will fight, and someone will grab a gun and walk towards the ice rink. So what are the residents of Beartown willing to sacrifice for their home? Everything.”- WorldCat

New Fiction

Fake Skating by Lynn Painter

“Excited to return to Minnesota and reconnect with her childhood sweetheart Alec, Dani discovers her nerdy best friend is now a hunky hockey star, and only a fake-dating situation may truly reunite them.” -WorldCat

The Otherwhere Post by Emily J. Taylor

“Seven years ago, Maeve Abenthy lost everything: her world, her father, even her name. Desperate to escape the stain of her father’s crimes, she lives under a fake name, never staying in one place long enough to put down roots.

Then she receives a mysterious letter with four impossible words: Your father was innocent.

To uncover the truth, she poses as an apprentice for the Otherwhere Post, where she’ll be trained in the art of scriptomancy—the dangerous magic that allows couriers to enchant letters and deliver them to other worlds. But looking into her father’s past draws more attention than she’d planned.” -Amazon

The Survivor Wants to Die at the End by Adam Silvera

They Both Die at the End; Book Three

"Paz Dario stays up every night, waiting for the Death-Cast call that would mean he doesn't have to keep faking his way through this lonely life. After a devastating day, Paz decides he's done waiting around for Death-Cast. If they say he's not dying, he'll just have to prove them wrong. But right before Paz can die, a boy saves his life. Alano Rosa is heir to the Death-Cast empire that encourages everyone to live their best lives, but he doesn't feel in control of his own existence thanks to his father. And with a violent organization called the Death Guard threatening Alano, his End Day might be closer than he thinks. It's time to live. Fate brings Paz and Alano together, but it's now up to the boys to survive the tragic trials ahead so no one dies at the end.” -Publisher

Us Against You by Fredrik Backman

Beartown Trilogy; Book Two

“After everything that the citizens of Beartown have gone through, they are struck yet another blow when they hear that their beloved local junior hockey team will soon be disbanded. What makes it worse is the obvious satisfaction that all the former Beartown players, who now play for a rival team in Hed, take in that fact. As the tension between the two towns simmers, a surprising newcomer is handpicked to try to save the Beartown club.” -Amazon

War Games by Alan Gratz

“In 1936 Berlin, nothing is what it seems...

Evie Harris can't believe her luck: She's competing in the Olympics, along with fellow American athletes like Jesse Owens. True, there's something creepy about Germany's leader, Adolf Hitler, who watches over the games with his Nazi henchmen. But Evie's just here to win a gold medal in gymnastics.

Until she discovers a horrible secret.

Behind all the Olympic fanfare, the Nazis have Berlin in an iron grip of terror and violence--and war is brewing. When Evie becomes embroiled in a mysterious plot to help steal Nazi gold, she must navigate the city's darkest corners and hidden passageways, never knowing who she can trust.

With lives on the line and her family's future at stake, Evie has to choose between following her Olympic dreams and standing up to evil... before it's too late.” -Amazon

It's Family Literacy Day!

Family Literacy Day in Canada is celebrated each year on January 27. It highlights the importance of reading and learning together as a family and encourages parents, caregivers, and children to enjoy literacy activities in their daily lives. Family Literacy Day reminds us that simple activities—such as reading stories, singing songs, playing games, or talking together—help children develop strong language and learning skills. Across Canada, schools, libraries, and community organizations mark the day with events and activities that promote a love of learning at every age.

This year CCRCE's Teen Reader's Choice Award program will be launched on Family Literacy Day. Visit your school library today, or in the upcoming days and weeks, and check out our TRCA titles. Feel free to visit the TRCA blog for a list of the Top Ten books, videos, puzzles, and much more. 

New Fiction

Bloom by Kenneth Oppel

The Overthrow; Book One

"It was just rain. But after the downpour, odd black plants begin to shoot up. Suddenly--They. Are. Everywhere. They take over fields and twine around houses. They bloom and throw off toxic pollen--and feed. Strangely, three Salt Spring Island teens seem immune. Anaya, Petra and Seth. What's their connection? What's their secret? A week ago, they wouldn't have thought they had one. But they'd better figure it out fast--the invasion has already begun." -Publisher

Daughter of the Deep by Rick Riordan 

“In this story inspired by Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Ana Dakkar, a freshman at Harding-Pencroft Academy, a five-year high school that graduates the best marine scientists, naval warriors, navigators, and underwater explorers in the world, makes astounding discoveries about her heritage and puts her leadership skills to the test against deadly enemies from a rival school.” -WorldCat

Invisible Son by Kim Johnson 

"Andre Jackson is determined to reclaim his identity. But returning from juvie doesn't feel like coming home. His Portland, Oregon, neighborhood is rapidly gentrifying, and COVID-19 shuts down school before he can return. And Andre's suspicions about his arrest for a crime he didn't commit even taint his friendships. It's as if his whole life has been erased. The one thing Andre is counting on is his relationship with the Whitaker kids--especially his longtime crush, Sierra. But Sierra's brother Eric is missing, and the facts don't add up as their adoptive parents fight to keep up the act that their racially diverse family is picture-perfect. If Andre can find Eric, he just might uncover the truth about his own arrest. But in a world where power is held by a few and Andre is nearly invisible, searching for the truth is a dangerous game." -Publisher

Love Radio by Ebony LaDelle

“Prince Jones, a self-professed teen love doctor known for his radio segment on the local hip-hop station, believes he can get the bookish, anti-romance Dani Ford to fall in love with him in three dates.” -WorldCat

Measuring Up by Lily LaMotte

"Having just moved to Seattle from Taiwan, twelve-year-old Cici enters a cooking competition to win the chance to see her grandmother again, but she only knows how to cook Taiwanese food." -Publisher